S&P, Dow hit record highs; Nasdaq tops 4,000 mark

NEW YORK (AP) - Technology companies lifted the stock market yesterday, keeping major indexes at record levels.

NEW YORK (AP) — Technology companies lifted the stock market yesterday, keeping major indexes at record levels.

Hewlett-Packard surged, leading the gains for tech companies, after it posted a $1.4 billion profit for its latest quarter.

Stocks also got a boost from some encouraging news about the U.S. economy. In a sign that workers are in less danger of being laid off, the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits dropped 10,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 316,000, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index climbed 4.48 points, to close at an all-time high of 1,807.23.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 24 points, to close at its own record high of 16,097.33. The blue-chip index finished higher for a fifth straight day, its longest winning streak since March.

The Nasdaq composite advanced 27 points, to 4,044.75. The index closed above 4,000 for the first time in 13 years on Tuesday.